Review: A History of the English Church and People

A History of the English Church and People by Bede
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

All by itself this is a remarkable as a very early (Eight Century C.E.) work of formal, researched history. The Venerable Bede even had letter copied out of the papal library. And, he had a timeline! Well one of those letter settled a question I have long wondered and been told both ways: Did the Catholic Church early on consciously co-opt pagan sites and rituals? Well, Bede repro'ed a letter from Pope Gregory to the first Bishop in Britain:

Chapter 30

WHEN these messengers had departed, St Gregory sent after them a letter which is worth recording, in which he plainly showed his eager interest in the salvation of our race. This is what he wrote:

To my most beloved son, Abbot Mellitus, Gregory, servant of the servants of God.
Since the departure of our companions and yourself I have felt much anxiety because we have not happened to hear how your journey has prospered. However, when Almighty God has brought you to our most reverend brother Bishop Augustine, tell him what I have decided after long deliberation about the English people, namely that the idol temples of that race should by no means be destroyed, but only the idols in them. Take holy water and sprinkle it in these shrines, build altars and place relics in them. For if the shrines are well built, it is essential that they should be changed from the worship of devils to the service of the true God. When this people see that their shrines are not destroyed they will be able to banish error from their hearts and be more ready to come to the places they are familiar with, but now recognizing and worshipping the true God. And because they are in the habit of slaughtering much cattle as sacrifices to devils, some solemnity ought to be given them in exchange for this. So on the day of the dedication or the festivals of the holy martyrs, whose relics are deposited there, let them make themselves huts from the branches of trees around the churches which have been converted out of shrines, and let them celebrate the solemnity with religious feasts.

Later, the same Pope tells a secular king to go ahead -- please -- trash the sites. No comment on the hypocrisy surfaces in this hagiography. Speaking of those kings, their gravedirt cures the sick, etc. It is easy to see how the Arthurian legend grew up with Bede and others worshipping as saints the earliest post-Roman native rules like Oswald, Wilfrid, etc.

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